Today in class we read and annotated an excerpt from I Could Tell You Stories: Sojourns In The Land of Memory by Patricia Hampl. The excerpt was titled Memory and Imagination. The chapter began by telling one of the author's memories and then goes on to analyze the memory and why she remembers this one in particular. Hampl realizes that as she told her story she got carried away and made mistakes in retelling the story. She had replaced parts of the memory, not with what she had that day, but with what she wanted. We learn that the author is finally getting what she wants by replacing parts of the memory, nothing is what it seems, she invented parts of her memoir, and she has to remember this moment in time in order to discover herself--by remembering the story a part of the writer will be revealed to herself as well as what she wants (symbols of longing). The author also discusses why she writes memoirs and the significance of remembering the past.
By reading this excerpt, I was able to learn that remembering the past is enriching and fulfilling. It is a journey that is necessary for all of us to take in order for us to find meaning in life. Memories allow us to learn more about ourselves and reveal our true desires. This relates to my film making class as we are learning to remake films from our own point of view. We pick and choose those scenes which seem important to us and molded a film to represent us just like a memory is molded to represent its owner.
No comments:
Post a Comment